Were Some New Guinean Food Stables Really From Southeast Asian Ancestors?

Perjhing Mardani
11/14/18
IHSS
Guns, Germs, And Steel Research






            Were sweet potato, taro, bananas, yams, sugarcane and edible grass stems ancestors of Southeast Asia or New Guinea? The misconception is that all of these foods were from Southeast Asian ancestors. Although, this is incorrect. Most of these foods are New Guinean species. Starch grains, plant crystals, and pollen were found in Kuk Swamp, a mountain valley in central New Guinea. The discovery was that this was evidence for planting and domestication for taro and banana. The evidence proving this theory is starch grains found on the edges of stone tools which were used by New Guineans. As for the bananas, banana microcrystals were found in grassland sediments and are a theory for deliberate planting. Research studies show that only until 3,500 years ago had domesticated plants from Southeast Asia entered New Guinea. Dr. Neumann, writing in science, said that taro and banana were cultivated in New Guinea but not domesticated. Dr. Denham on the other hand said that taro and banana were ''potentially the most significant food staples'' in the New Guinea highlands.


Sources -

https://www.nytimes.com/2003/06/24/science/an-early-heartland-of-agriculture-is-found-in-new-guinea.html

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